Liberty
by Kate Christie
Summary: Happy Fourth of July. A one-shot, because everyone should get fireworks on the 4th.


**Liberty**

The weight of his arm, draped haphazardly across her shoulders, was comfortable now.

When his other hand found her fingers, interlaced them, she gripped them back.

The sand was still warm, sliding beneath her feet, slipping between her toes, even though the sun had just dipped below the horizon.

Two red heads were strolling a few yards in front of them, holding their blankets and basket.

Very little in her world had been as simple as this Wednesday night, walking down the beach with her best friend and his family.

Alexis stopped to survey, turned a half circle, took a few steps toward the water, then planted the basket in the sand.

"Is this it?"

"Why am I always the only one who can find this spot, Dad? You and Gram have been here every year, too."

"Yes, but you're the one with the nose for direction, darling."

"And you have never been under the influence of your Grandmother's deadly sangria while trying to find it."

Kate chuckled. Laughing had never felt so easy as it did with them.

"Good point, kiddo."

They spread blankets, settled in, broke out the lemonade and sangria.

She sat beside him, knees bumping as they leaned in to grab strawberries or a lemon bar.

Alexis and Martha people-watched as other groups set out their own beach chairs and coolers, commenting to each other about this or that neighbor, bits of gossip they'd heard since they'd been in town over the weekend.

They seemed content to leave Rick and herself out of things for a while, maybe sensing the vibe of closeness, of calm and quiet that had settled over them.

There had been so much disquiet for so long.

Now, this was what they could be: just a family, picnicking on the beach. No death, no murder, no chasing or being chased. Her ghosts were there, but they were silent, just looking on from afar.

She had always had it in her, this ability to let everything go and just be. But it took this man to remind her how to use it.

The bright blue of the sky was rapidly fading to black, darkening to an inky canvas. Rick grabbed two strawberries from the bowl, held one out for her. She smiled at the gesture, bit into the ripe, red fruit, let the sweetness flood her senses for a moment. He took a bite of his own berry, dropped the rest into his glass of sangria as he swallowed.

The warmth in her chest was starting to overflow.

She took the rest of her strawberry from his fingers just as they heard the first whir out over the water.

"Sure you're okay with the noise?"

She nodded. She hadn't had problems with loud noise in weeks. About eight weeks.

Everyone turned to face the first burst as it lit up the sky.

Rick wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her over, pulled her to sit in the v of his legs.

His chest was solid and warm behind her, breath tickling the curve of her neck, bare beneath her ponytail.

"Oh's" and "Ah's" rose from the crowd as the starbursts became bigger, the pace of their pop and glow increased.

One rocket spiraled up, burst into long, silvery tendrils that dripped toward the horizon. Another followed close behind. She loved the ones that lasted, faded slowly as they fell, stretched out the moment of light and beauty.

He spoke softly in her ear.

"Those are my favorite. The ones that float, sort of linger."

She smiled, though she knew he couldn't see it.

A volley of reds, whites, and blues lit up the beach, shone on the upturned faces of Martha and Alexis sitting just in front, highlighted the firm line of Rick's forearm where it rested across her collarbone.

A giddy sense of wonder rose up in her as the sky flickered before them.

She was loose, so languid as she leaned back into Rick. Thoughts and feelings that had been amorphous, moving through her in aimless, jittery fits and starts for months, now just flowed easily.

She turned to him, found his eyes, tiny, dark mirrors of the points of light firing above them.

It wasn't a conscious decision; she knew it was time on instinct, by some deep ticking clock within her. And she didn't stop to question, just voiced what she knew was already shining in her eyes.

"I love you."

For as long as he had waited to hear those words from her lips, she was surprised at the slow, subtle intensity of his reaction.

The smile that had already curved his lips deepened at the corners. She felt his breathing slow, his fingers splay over her shoulder. And as he turned his gaze fully to meet hers, she saw a different light reflecting back from his eyes. This one was warm, radiant, unrestrained. The moisture that pooled was quickly blinked back.

"Say it again."

As she opened her lips to comply, his brushed them lightly, as if to feel the words rather than hear them.

"I love you, Rick."

And then he kissed her, slow and soft and deep, until everything else fell away and there was only the two of them, easy and alone for a moment in this beautiful night, bathed in light from without and within.

When he pulled gently away, found her eyes again, he whispered.

"Kate Beckett, I am more in love with you every single day. I love you, and you're the only one I ever want to say it to for the rest of my life."

She felt her heart flash, bright and open, at his words. She knew before she had said them that those words would only be for his ears from now on.

"Is that a promise?"

"I think I'd call it a vow."

# * # * # * #

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